Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: thedoc on 19/07/2013 09:28:16
-
HIV can be used as a gene therapy vector for in-born genetic disease.
Read the whole story on our website by clicking here (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/news/news/1000257/)
-
Using HIV as a vector seems promising, but HIV suffers from the problem that the DNA is inserted in a random place in the genome, potentially disrupting important genes, or triggering cancer.
There are a few viruses which are more selective about where they insert their DNA, and this may produce a more safe and consistent result.
-
Wouldn't part of it depend on the target organ?
I thought HIV mainly targeted immune system cells.
Herpes and related may target nervous tissue.
Adenovirus for pulmonary tissue,
Various Hep viruses for the Liver
etc.
Of course, perhaps there is a bit more general distribution of the viruses.
-
Hi CliffordK,
You're right that diffrent viruses have a prefrence for diffrent tissue types, what they have done in this trail is use the HIV (a lentivirus) to insert the healthly gene into a sample of bone marrow outside the body. Once the healthy gene has been taken up the cells are washed to remove any remaining vector and then returned to the patient. This way they have their own cells back and the technique is tageted at the cells that matter.
-
Hi evan_au,
As far as I'm aware they have found a way round this oncogene problem, though you're right. There was a similar trail a few years ago that had very good results but some of the participents were later diagnoised with leukemia. I'm sure it's something they'll be looking out for in the years to come.